Kolkata: Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as actor Koel Mallick, filed her nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate on Monday.

Mallick, who recently quit the TMC and joined the BJP, was accompanied during the nomination process by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya. 

Her nomination comes a day after she formally joined the BJP and shortly after the party announced her as its candidate for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat.

Speaking after joining the BJP, Mallick said the development she had witnessed in West Bengal over the past few months influenced her decision to join the party.

'I am very happy seeing the development that has taken place over the last few months. That is what made me come to the BJP,' she said.

Mallick also stressed that she did not want to attack her former party or any political leader. Instead, she said she wanted to focus on serving Bengal's people.

'I know how to serve people,' she said, adding that she wanted Bengal's people to remain happy.

Koel recalls childhood conversations with father

At a press conference after joining the BJP, Mallick also recalled her childhood and conversations with her father, veteran actor Ranjit Mallick.

She said she would often hear her father raise questions while reading newspapers, particularly about the lack of schools and employment opportunities in Bengal.

According to Mallick, her father would wonder why the state could not establish more schools, why children had to leave Bengal to build careers, and why better opportunities could not be created within the state.

The actor said those childhood conversations stayed with her and that politics now gives her a platform to work on some of the issues she grew up discussing.

Mallick said she did not want to dwell on the issues that remained unresolved during the previous government and preferred to focus on what could be done going forward.

‘Humanity is the greatest religion’

Mallick said she considered becoming a Rajya Sabha member an honor and saw politics as a chance to serve people and improve their welfare.

She also spoke about her childhood social service experiences, recalling how her mother would take her to the Missionaries of Charity during the summer holidays.

'I knew that the real world was outside,' she said, recalling how those visits gave her an early desire to work for people.

Mallick reiterated that she did not want to make disparaging comments about any political party or individual, saying every political party attempts to work for people in its own way.

At the same time, she said she was happy to have joined a party where she believed public development work had been taking place in recent months.

Koel speaks about social media toxicity

The actor-turned-politician also addressed the personal attacks and toxicity frequently seen on social media.

She linked such behaviour, in part, to frustration arising from a lack of education and employment opportunities. According to her, creating more schools and jobs could reduce the frustration that manifests as online personal attacks.

Drawing on her background as a psychology student, Mallick said she was not angry with those who attacked her personally.

She suggested that people who insult others may be dealing with unhappiness and frustration themselves.

From TMC MP to BJP candidate

Mallick's political transition has unfolded rapidly. The TMC nominated her for the Rajya Sabha earlier this year, and she took the oath as a member of the Upper House on April 6.

She resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 16, barely three months after taking oath. Her resignation followed the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, in which the BJP emerged as the state's dominant political force.

Her subsequent meeting with senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav in Delhi fuelled speculation about her political future.

The BJP eventually announced her as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election.

The nomination filing marks the next step in her political journey as Mallick seeks to return to the Upper House as a BJP candidate.

The Rajya Sabha by-election for the vacant West Bengal seat is scheduled for October 16.